National Republican., 1887-04-23

finds the method Of heating. The walls
were lined with ilue tiles, aud the floors
were built hollow. The furnace
was placed in room below
so that the hot afr aud smoke from the fire
first passed under the floor and then up the
dues which lined the walls, and 50 escaped
above the roof. The greater part OF the
upper story belongs to the rebuilding In the
time of Severus. The whole house, with
the exception OF the servants quarters, was
once richly ornamented, with floors and
walls covered with beautiful oriental mar
bles. Among the fragments which were
found here, aud now preserved IN one OF
the rooms, are included almost all the fine
oriental marbles used during the period OF
Rome's greatest magniicence.
One OF the most interesting points In
connection with the uncovering OF this
house was the discovery In the perstyle Of
a number OF portrait statues OF the vestal
virgins, together with the inscribed Dedes-
tails on which they rested. Unfortunately,
however. the manner IN which they were
found leaves 1t uncertain which statues and
pedestals belonged together Although
there are many so called statues OF vestals
In the galleries of Europe, these are the
only known authentic ones.
A friend recently told me that an artist In
Rome, who, Just prior to the excavation
virgins which was greatly admired for Its
supposed accurate representation OF their
sacridcal garments. The artist was Just
on the eve of selling " at high
price, but, unfortunately for the artist,
and fortunately tor the buyer, Just at this
junction these interesting statues OF the
vestals were unearthed, reve iling the glar
ing Inaccuracies Of the picture and spelling
its sale. No one OF the statues is perfect
f,,a - Ia "A n a
entire figure to mere fragment. The most
remarkable Is the statue OF u noble looking
middle. aged lady. II send you a photo. }
| Only the upper half or this exists, but inter
est centers IN 1t as being the oniy one show
ing the manner of wearing the sacrlticial gar.
ment called the sulllbulum, piece OF white
wooden cloth folded over the head and
caught under the chin by fbula. Under
the suillbulum In font are seen the vitae,
which were formed Of rolls OF linen
bound around the head something
like coronet, their rope-like ends
passing down thel. sides of the neck
In all other respects the dress of thest
statues is the same, consisting of the sto!a,
long robe extending from the neck tc
the feet, girdled at the waist by cord or
zona. Over this is worn the pallium, d
garment of ample proportions, gracefully
caught up over the arm, or folded around
the body, as fancy dictated.
The statues are all Inscribed to the Uirg'
uestaiis mdrimd, or chief Of the vestal vir
gins. Six are inscribed to the same vestal
Flavia Publicia. One records that the god
dess Vesta herself approved OF her zeal ant
piety. Another praises the fidelity will
which she guarded the eternal fire. Tn
name from one of the pedestals has bee,
erased. The date is 364, and, AS abou
that time some Of the vestals wer
converted to Christianity, 1t ha
been surImised that the erased name wa
that OF Christian virgin. | have write
thus lengthily, hoping to furnish you som'
thing that might be of interest to thos
members Of your Historical Society VIII
Z have not visited:R since these excav'
! tions were made. We expect to leay
! Rome the last OF March for Naples, goin
thence to Greece, and then to Germany fC
9 the summer. Very truly yours.
|. L. A. q.